GOP plans $1 trillion Medicaid cut

House Republicans are planning to cut roughly $1 trillion over 10 years from Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor and disabled, as part of their fiscal 2012 budget, which they will unveil early next month, according to several GOP sources.

Though Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan has yet to lock in his final numbers, he made clear to POLITICO in February that he intends to target Medicaid and Medicare for savings. While Medicaid is easiest to win consensus on, Medicare is the biggest debt driver. It’s not yet clear how much Ryan hopes to cut from Medicare, and he and GOP leaders have been reluctant to discuss their plans for the other entitlement behemoth: Social Security. But they’ve made clear that they don’t consider Social Security to be as pressing an issue as Medicare and Medicaid.

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POLITICO 44

The entitlement cuts represent a major battleground for the parties from now through the 2012 election: Democrats are already accusing Republicans of slashing benefits for the neediest Americans, but Republicans say Medicaid needs to be reformed to give states more flexibility in how they use federal dollars — and to rein in costs for both the federal government and state legislatures, which are swimming in red ink because of health care expenditures.

To bolster their cause, GOP leaders point to years of requests from governors to reform Medicaid so their states aren’t on the hook for so much money in the federal-state partnership.

Because the new health care law includes a major expansion of the program, there’s a double bonus for GOP leaders slashing it: It’s a bigger pot than it used to be, and it’s a major component of what Republicans derisively call “Obamacare.”

They have vowed to target entitlement spending in their budgets, after chiding President Barack Obama for failing to lead because his fiscal 2012 blueprint didn’t touch Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security. Under Obama’s budget, Medicaid grants to states would more than double — to about $600 billion per year — by 2021.

Ryan’s spokesman, Conor Sweeney, said it’s still “premature to speculate on specifics,” but he didn’t knock down the trillion-dollar figure.

“Chairman Ryan has committed to put forward a budget that deals with the drivers of the debt. He has committed to put forward a budget that helps spur job creation and economic growth. He has committed to put forward a budget that helps save the nation’s critical health and retirement security programs,” Sweeney said Thursday. “By contrast, given their refusal to lead, the president and his party’s leaders are committing the nation to the bankruptcy of these programs, the bankruptcy of the federal government and a debt-fueled economic crisis.”

Ryan’s preferred treatment for Medicaid, outlined in a policy booklet called “A Roadmap for America’s Future,” is to convert current federal payments to states into direct assistance in the form of $11,000 per year per recipient, which could be used to purchase private insurance. It’s not clear whether Ryan envisions pursuing his prescription for Medicaid or a different formula for restructuring the program.

Yeah, go ahead, Republicans. Cut to the bone, then doctors will stop taking Medicare and Medicaid patients. But, who cares about that, right? Why not get to the root of the problem--the ridiculous and ever increasing cost of medical care in this country? Oops, sorry, can't do that, since the Republicans are in the pockets of the health care industry.

Cut money for the poor and give it to Corporations? The largest corporations in the country are already getting tax refunds. GOP always looking out for billionaires. Screw the poor. Guess we can see what family values means to them.

House Republicans are planning to cut as much as $1 trillion over 10 years from Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor and disabled, when they unveil their fiscal 2012 budget early next month, according to several GOP sources.

Though Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has yet to lock in his final numbers, he made clear to POLITICO in February that he intends to target Medicaid and Medicare for savings. While Medicaid is easiest to win consensus on, Medicare is the biggest debt driver. It’s not yet clear how much Ryan hopes to cut from Medicare, and he and GOP leaders have been reluctant to discuss their plans for the other entitlement behemoth: Social Security. But they’ve made clear that they don’t consider Social Security to be as pressing an issue as Medicare and Medicaid.

For the poor and disabled. And what about our Troops Ryan when will the truth about this come out. Why are you not telling us they to will be a part of your trillion dollars of savings. Why not go after the greed of the drug companies and insurance companies who play a bigger roll in the cost and why we spend so much. What about getting some real oversight out there to stop the billions each year Washington allows to be wasted. Sorry your way once again is to protect your masters big business and the business as usual in Washington way of doing things.

Get a life you liberal losers. You could take every penny from every millionaire & billionaire in America and you still would not be able to pay for all the programs your left wings leaders have promised you. Learn to take care of yourself the country is broke.

Why not go after the greed of the drug companies and insurance companies who play a bigger roll in the cost and why we spend so much.

The perceived "greed" of the drug companmies comes from having to spend millions to develop new medicines and then spend $5 to get it through the FDA. The preceived "greed" of the insurance companies has to do with laws requiring free deadbeat health care. If you have insurance, between 25-40% goes to support deadbeat health care.

This is absolutely mind-bogglingly disgusting. And listen up Tea Partiers. Medicaid is the payer of last resort for long term care. The majority of people requiring nursing home care run through their estate rapidly and hit the Medicaid roles (Medicare only pays for a very limited amount of SNF care. Most Tea Partiers either have or will have relatives on Medicaid in nursing homes, no matter what idiot fantasies they have about taking care of the expenses themselves. This is the absolute, morally repugnant pits.

This is absolutely mind-bogglingly disgusting. And listen up Tea Partiers. Medicaid is the payer of last resort for long term care. The majority of people requiring nursing home care run through their estate rapidly and hit the Medicaid roles (Medicare only pays for a very limited amount of SNF care. Most Tea Partiers either have or will have relatives on Medicaid in nursing homes, no matter what idiot fantasies they have about taking care of the expenses themselves. This is the absolute, morally repugnant pits.

What happens when the top 2% achieves 100% of the wealth? Does the top 1% steal the wealth from the other 1%? What happens when one person achieves 100% of the wealth? Who does he play with when he has all the toys? Does anyone else think of the old cartoon character Uncle Scrooge, in his huge vault, playing with his money? Just a thought.

Yeah, go ahead, Republicans. Cut to the bone, then doctors will stop taking Medicare and Medicaid patients. But, who cares about that, right? Why not get to the root of the problem--the ridiculous and ever increasing cost of medical care in this country? Oops, sorry, can't do that, since the Republicans are in the pockets of the health care industry.

I hate to break it to you but docs alrady are not taking medicare/aid patients.

Youare correct that we need to address health CARE costs as oposed to health INSURANCE costs since the latter is entirely dependant upon the first. Sadly the administration preferred to not as they are, in fact, the ones in bed withthe AMA, ABA & Pharma.